Samantha Martinez Hat Trick Pushes Beach WNT to 5-2 Win against El Salvador
Martinez Records Second Career International Hat Trick Beach WNT Closes El Salvador Beach Soccer Cup vs. Bahamas on Saturday (6 p.m. ET; ESPN3)
COSTA DEL SOL, El Salvador (March 29, 2024) – The U.S. Women’s Beach Soccer National Team utilized a hat trick from Samantha Martinez, as well as strikes from Makenzie Chronopoulos and Kilee Quigley to earn a 5-2 win against hosts El Salvador on Matchday Two of the 2024 El Salvador Beach Soccer Cup. With the result, the USA (1-1; 3 pts.) sits second thanks to the head-to-head tiebreaker with El Salvador, heading into the team’s tournament finale against Bahamas on Saturday.
After some strong back-and-forth play from both sides, the USA got on the board about five minutes in when Quigley’s corner from the left picked out Martinez’s near post run, leading to her heading home her second of the tournament at 7:14. The goal was also Martinez’s 10th international strike, making her the fourth player to reach double-digit goals for the USBWNT.
It took the USA less than a minute to find the second when Martinez forced a save out of El Salvador ‘keeper Yahaira Maravilla before the ball fell for Chronopoulos who poked home the first goal of her international career with 6:56 remaining.
El Salvador cut into the U.S. lead with just under four minutes left as U.S. goalkeeper Gabriella Batmani had her shot out of the back blocked. Seeing an open net, El Salvador’s Irma Cordero quickly lobbed the ball from midfield into the unoccupied goal to pull one back with 3:54 left in the first.
The USA restored its two goal lead with 12 seconds remaining in the first. With space at the back, Vanessa Valentine powered a low ball through midfield which Quigley redirected past Maravilla to send the Beach WNT into the first intermission with a 3-1 lead.
The second period was a bit tighter, but the USA still managed to increase its lead. With just over four minutes left, Hannah Adler rocketed a shot from midfield which Maravilla saved, but spilled in front of goal where Martinez pounced for her second of the match and third of the tournament to make it 4-1 with 4:09 left in the second period.
El Salvador fought back early in the third period. Less than 30 seconds in, U.S. captain Ali Hall was whistled for a handball just in front of goal, leading to La Selecta’s Laura Varela’s penalty kick which she powered over USA goalkeeper Gabriella Batmani to make it 4-2 with 11:33 remaining.
The U.S. was undeterred and made it 5-2 with just over five minutes left as Quigley pushed the ball forward to Martinez on the right before the forward hit a low, right-footed effort that tucked inside the lower left post to complete her hat trick. It was the second hat trick in Beach WNT history, with Martinez also completing the first, also against El Salvador on Aug. 4, 2019 in San Salvador.
In the day’s first match, England (2-0) defeated Bahamas 5-1 to take the lead at the top of the table with four points. Bahamas (0-2) sit at the bottom of the table with zero points.
NEXT UP: The USBWNT will close out the 2024 El Salvador Beach Soccer Cup when it takes on Bahamas on Saturday at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN3.
ADDITIONAL NOTES:
- Head coach Morgan Church deployed the same Starting V that began Friday’s match against England.
- Samantha Martinez’s hat trick gave her four goals in two matches at the El Salvador Cup, and took her career total to 12 goals, moving her into third all-time on the Beach WNT scoring list and making her the fourth player in team history to reach double-digit goals.
- Martinez’s hat trick was the in Beach WNT history, with the striker also completing the first in a 9-6 win against El Salvador on Aug. 4, 2019 in San Salvador.
- Kilee Quigley’s goal in the second period was the 16th of her international career, tying her with Lauren Leslie for first on the USBWNT’s goals list. Quigley also collected her third and fourth international assists on Martinez’s first and third goals.
- Makenzie Chronopoulos’ first period goal was the first of her international career.
- Goalkeeper Vanessa Amaral made her USBWNT debut, coming on for Gabriella Batmani early in the second period.
-U.S. WOMEN’S BEACH SOCCER NATIONAL TEAM MATCH REPORT-
Match: United States Beach Women’s National Team vs. El Salvador
Date: March 29, 2024
Competition: 2024 El Salvador Beach Soccer Cup
Venue: Costa del Sol Stadium; Costa del Sol, El Salvador
Kickoff: 8:45 p.m. ET (6:45 p.m. local)
Weather: 82 degrees, clear
Scoring Summary: 1 2 3 FT
SLV 1 0 1 2
USA 3 1 1 5
USA – Samantha Martinez (Kilee Quigley) 7:14 (1st Period)
USA – Makenzie Chronopoulos 6:56 (1st Period)
SLV – Irma Cordero 3:54 (1st Period)
USA – Kilee Quigley (Vanessa Valentine) 0:12 (1st Period)
USA – Samantha Martinez 4:09 (2nd Period)
SLV – Laura Varela (Penalty Kick) 11:33 (3rd Period)
USA – Samantha Martinez (Kilee Quigley) 5:16 (3rd Period)
Lineups:
USA: 1-Gabriella Batmani, 3-Hannah Adler, 6-Jeané Sunseri-Warp, 9-Kilee Quigley, 10-Hall (capt.)
Substitutes: 12-Vanessa Amaral, 2-Nikki Haimes, 4-Vanessa Valentine, 5-Makenzie Chronopoulos, 8-Tori Phillips, 11-Samantha Martinez
Did not play: 7-Lauren Leslie
Head coach: Morgan Church
SLV:12-Yahaira Maravilla, 2-Daniela Rivera, 6-Cindy Turcios, 9-Irma Cordero, 11-Fatima Perez
Substitutes: 1-Karla Lara, 3-Nahomy Galan, 4-Katherine Segovia, 5-Yaquelin Duran, 7-Laura Varela, 8-Dalia Castro, 10-Fatima Gonzalez
Head coach: Elias Ramirez Martinez
Misconduct Summary:
SLV – Fatima Perez (Caution) 3:52 (1st Period)
USA – Kilee Quigley (Caution) 1:52 (3rd Period)
Officials:
Referee: Gumercindo Batista Vergara (PAN)
Second Referee: Omar Salazar Euan (MEX)
3rd Referee: Jorge Tunon Moran (PAN)
Timekeeper: Gonzalo Yurandir Carballo Perez (SLV)